Yeah before free agency separated the men from the boys, A's made some good runs. But their fan base was ultimately too small to generate a ton of revenue to pay for the big name players. That combined with their crummy stadium situation brought about a long decline, or at best mediocrity.

I think the secret is to amass a ton of no-name pitchers by trading away all the good players you have developed, then go on an improbable run by relying on the HR ball by guys who look like they can't hit it out of the outfield.